4 ms·

Euthanasia is illegal in the US. The only thing you can do is remove artificial means of life support. It’s in humane. People should be able to die with dignity

Euthanasia is illegal in the US. The only thing you can do is remove artificial means of life support. It’s in humane. People should be able to die with dignity. We treat our pets better.

wahern 8y ago
I don't disagree, but this recent assisted suicide story certainly has added some complexity to the debate: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/mar/17/assisted-dying-euthanasia-netherlands https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/mar/17/assisted-dyi... TL;DR: Assisted suicide approved and performed for woman suffering from depression and psychosis. Actually, it wasn't the first non-terminal assisted suicide. I remember a 2009 story involving a man who decided to die with his wife. The wife had terminal cancer, he was healthy, albeit 80 years old. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/jul/14/assisted-suicide-dignitas https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/jul/14/assisted-sui... That article also discusses another couple suffering from non-terminal but chronic illness and chronic pain. I don't remember reading about that couple at the time.
- hanniabu 8y ago
  Yeah, but you know what? That's was their choice
  - wahern 8y ago
    Yes. I don't mean to be critical of those decisions. But assisted suicide is often pitched to the public as a compassionate treatment to terminal illness. Being narrowly circumscribed is supposed to minimize the potential for abuse and coercion. So when I say those stories add complexity, I mean to say they create fodder for those opposing assisted suicide.
    - mijamo 8y ago
      Not really, you just have to write the law to allow what you think should be allowed. Some countries allow assisted suicide in non critical conditions, some allow it only for critical conditions, and some never allow it. I don't see why it would give any weight to those opposing assisted suicide. And TBH I don't understand what is the problem with assisted suicide for non critical conditions in the first place. People get to chose their life, and should be able to end it if they want to. The only alternative as I see it would be to put on the state the responsibility to make everyone so happy they would never want to die, which does not sound like something those opposing assisted suicide would want either. Why would we force people to live miserable lives?
      - jacobush 8y ago
        Please at least try to see the other side of the argument. Or we could replace a large chunk of depression treatment with firing squads and it would be fine your argument above. After all, they wanted to die.
        AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago
        You would prefer suicide by cop?
        werbistich 8y ago
        As someone who suffers from depression for almost 20 years I would like to provide some thought: Sometimes if you really just want to die and can not move out of bed, it would be REALLY(!) helpful if you would just be allowed to. If I could just go to my parents or my friends and say "hey, I love you all, but I have enough, I want to die" and if then nobody would be like "oh! you feel that bad? how can we help you? We are there for you" but just accept what I just said "I want to die", make an appointment at a doctor's office, give me some overdose and let me like. Act the same way as if I told them I want to move to another country, talk about it if you need, accept it and accept it as a life choice. If that would be really socially accepted–and I mean really accepted, not just some imaginary accepted by everyone just in order to treat the depressed–then I suspect a lot of depression would go away, because everyone who is depressed and fights to get out of bed everyday would have a real new choice, a real new option that is not looked down upon like "I want to die but everybody I love will be mad or sad". And having real options and choices you are free to take helps a lot if you are depressed. It's the feeling of having a lot of choices but being not allowed/accepted/able to take them that often stops one from finding the strength to fight back.
        Broken_Hippo 8y ago
        The way I see it is this: Suffering matters, and options to rid yourself of suffering should exist, including dying. Dying wouldn't be the first course of action for most doctors (and it'd be doctors that would need to document). It is kind of like being in physical pain: You might think death is better right now, but when you heal a bit, you would rather not die, thank-you-very-much. But for some folks, that healing doesn't really happen. Some folks go for years suffering and/or wanting to die. Same with physical pain. And if you've tried the cures available and have suffered, why wouldn't this be an option for folks? The same with any major, persistent mental illness honestly. Or any major illness that causes grief, pain, and/or disability. It isn't replacing mental health treatment, but it is adding another tool that replaces suicide that is hidden away. And honestly, I'm guessing it would give a few folks a light at the end of the tunnel. "If treatments don't work, I can eventually die painlessly if I choose". You can have death available for non-critical patients alongside standards for getting such a thing.

Euthanasia is illegal in the US. The only thing you can do is remove artificial means of life support. It’s in humane. People should be able to die with dignity. We treat our pets better.

wahern 8y ago

I don't disagree, but this recent assisted suicide story certainly has added some complexity to the debate: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/mar/17/assisted-dying-euthanasia-netherlands https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/mar/17/assisted-dyi... TL;DR: Assisted suicide approved and performed for woman suffering from depression and psychosis. Actually, it wasn't the first non-terminal assisted suicide. I remember a 2009 story involving a man who decided to die with his wife. The wife had terminal cancer, he was healthy, albeit 80 years old. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/jul/14/assisted-suicide-dignitas https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/jul/14/assisted-sui... That article also discusses another couple suffering from non-terminal but chronic illness and chronic pain. I don't remember reading about that couple at the time.

hanniabu 8y ago
Yeah, but you know what? That's was their choice
- wahern 8y ago
  Yes. I don't mean to be critical of those decisions. But assisted suicide is often pitched to the public as a compassionate treatment to terminal illness. Being narrowly circumscribed is supposed to minimize the potential for abuse and coercion. So when I say those stories add complexity, I mean to say they create fodder for those opposing assisted suicide.
  - mijamo 8y ago
    Not really, you just have to write the law to allow what you think should be allowed. Some countries allow assisted suicide in non critical conditions, some allow it only for critical conditions, and some never allow it. I don't see why it would give any weight to those opposing assisted suicide. And TBH I don't understand what is the problem with assisted suicide for non critical conditions in the first place. People get to chose their life, and should be able to end it if they want to. The only alternative as I see it would be to put on the state the responsibility to make everyone so happy they would never want to die, which does not sound like something those opposing assisted suicide would want either. Why would we force people to live miserable lives?
    - jacobush 8y ago
      Please at least try to see the other side of the argument. Or we could replace a large chunk of depression treatment with firing squads and it would be fine your argument above. After all, they wanted to die.
      - AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago
        You would prefer suicide by cop?
      - werbistich 8y ago
        As someone who suffers from depression for almost 20 years I would like to provide some thought: Sometimes if you really just want to die and can not move out of bed, it would be REALLY(!) helpful if you would just be allowed to. If I could just go to my parents or my friends and say "hey, I love you all, but I have enough, I want to die" and if then nobody would be like "oh! you feel that bad? how can we help you? We are there for you" but just accept what I just said "I want to die", make an appointment at a doctor's office, give me some overdose and let me like. Act the same way as if I told them I want to move to another country, talk about it if you need, accept it and accept it as a life choice. If that would be really socially accepted–and I mean really accepted, not just some imaginary accepted by everyone just in order to treat the depressed–then I suspect a lot of depression would go away, because everyone who is depressed and fights to get out of bed everyday would have a real new choice, a real new option that is not looked down upon like "I want to die but everybody I love will be mad or sad". And having real options and choices you are free to take helps a lot if you are depressed. It's the feeling of having a lot of choices but being not allowed/accepted/able to take them that often stops one from finding the strength to fight back.
      - Broken_Hippo 8y ago
        The way I see it is this: Suffering matters, and options to rid yourself of suffering should exist, including dying. Dying wouldn't be the first course of action for most doctors (and it'd be doctors that would need to document). It is kind of like being in physical pain: You might think death is better right now, but when you heal a bit, you would rather not die, thank-you-very-much. But for some folks, that healing doesn't really happen. Some folks go for years suffering and/or wanting to die. Same with physical pain. And if you've tried the cures available and have suffered, why wouldn't this be an option for folks? The same with any major, persistent mental illness honestly. Or any major illness that causes grief, pain, and/or disability. It isn't replacing mental health treatment, but it is adding another tool that replaces suicide that is hidden away. And honestly, I'm guessing it would give a few folks a light at the end of the tunnel. "If treatments don't work, I can eventually die painlessly if I choose". You can have death available for non-critical patients alongside standards for getting such a thing.